I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader copy at the California School Library Association conference. Thank you Pam Muñoz Ryan for bringing the copies! This will be a great choice for middle school students. Set in a fictional Central American country, 12-year-old Max is determined to discover the mystery of where his mother is and why she left when he was just a baby. During a courageous and dangerous trip helping a runaway young girl, what he learns is not what he expected.